


Green Sweater

by kittykat128



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A nice handful of fluff, Actor Ben Solo, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Movie Star, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben has a little bit of an anger problem, F/M, Hiking, Iceland, Los Angeles, Manager Rey Niima, Marriage Proposal, New York City, One Shot, POV Third Person, References to Sex, Secret Relationship, Shared Clothing, Time Skips, but it's fine, stan twitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykat128/pseuds/kittykat128
Summary: As the manager of movie star Ben Solo, Rey is forced to keep her relationship with him a secret, until one fateful sweater gives them away.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 14
Kudos: 149





	Green Sweater

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faitaccompli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faitaccompli/gifts).



> My first (!) one-shot is dedicated to [willow](https://twitter.com/urareylowillow), who came up with the [prompt](https://twitter.com/urareylowillow/status/1310646079436722177) that inspired this story. I hope you enjoy it and give her a follow!

Looking back, it was always difficult for Rey to pinpoint when it started. Maybe it was the day they met--at an award show after-party when she was working for another client. Or perhaps it was after he signed onto her, and they went out to eat at a fancy water-front restaurant in Malibu. For all she knew, it could’ve been the first time she saw his face: on a billboard in West Hollywood when she was still in university, advertising the movie that would end up being his big break.

But most likely there never was a starting point. Their bond was always there, drawing them together then apart, like two planets in orbit, until suddenly they collided and sent star dust hurtling across the galaxy.

…

It happened a year after they started working together. Rey was a professional woman, intent on keeping her personal and her work life separate. She kept strict vacation time, locking her work phone in her house safe before jetting off for two weeks every year. She was proud to not be like the other Hollywood managers, agents, and assistants who were always available to their client, to the point where they weren’t even their own person anymore, just an extension of whatever celebrity they worked for.

On that day she was about to leave for Iceland (she had meticulosity planned her drive around the Ring Road), her work phone dinged from across the room, right after she put it in the safe. Rey stopped in her tracks. If she worked for anybody else, she would be out of the room right now, not giving it a second thought. But now…

…

Okay, maybe there was a beginning to their story. It was the day of a photoshoot for some arts magazine where he had to play tennis. Well, “pretend-tennis”, but Ben Solo is not one to fake anything, so of course he went really hard and ended up breaking a light with one of his serves. Rey got the call in the middle of a production meeting and hoofed it across the city. She had already been working for him for a couple months and knew what to expect. As soon as she got past security and was in view of the set, she could hear his voice.

“It’s just a stupid light, you can replace it!”

“We told you to just pretend, not actually hit balls over a hundred miles an hour at our heads.” Some poor intern whimpered.

“Too bad.”

Rey rounded the corner and was met with the tableaux she had been picturing in her mind. A college kid, probably a set PA, scared to death of the skyscraper across from him. The said skyscraper dripping sweat, muscles staring against the thin white tank top and matching tennis shorts, bangs pulled back into a messy bun. Rey couldn’t help but take in the vision for a moment.

“Ben.”

They turn to her. Ben loosens the grip on his tennis racket, looking to the ground like a child caught doing something naughty. The kid relaxes his shoulders, grateful there’s someone else to take the heat.

“I tried to tell him…”

“Rey. His manager. And yes, I know. I told him what to expect.” Rey smiles at the boy, feeling guilty that he had to bear witness to one of Ben’s notorious tantrums. “Do you mind if I speak to him in private for a second?”

“Go right ahead, it’s lunch. Probably won’t start for another hour.” He checks his watch to make sure.

“Alright, thank you.”

He nods and dashes off. Rey resets her face, eyebrows slanted and lips drawn down, before looking at Ben. He twirls his racket nervously.

“How do you know I want to speak to _you?_ ” he jokes, trying to lighten the mood. He risks a glance at Rey’s face. His puppy dog eyes dissolve her anger in an instant.

“What the hell, Ben?” She chuckles, the absurdity of the situation catching up to her.

“I don’t like pretending. And I needed the exercise.” Ben shrugs. Rey crosses her arms and looks at her feet in an attempt to not be distracted by the Adonis in front of her. This was never a problem with her past clients, but everyday it has become more and more of a struggle. It takes longer for her to get ready in the morning and her stomach flips whenever he texts or calls. So far it’s only been a fun addition to her life, an extra sparkle, but right now, with this outfit, it’s almost torture.

“I can see that.” Rey mumbles. Ben wipes sweat off his brow with the edge of his tank top, pulling it up to revealed his chiseled abdomen.

_Jesus Christ, this man is going to be the death of me._

“You want me to stay?” Rey blurts out without thinking. Ben gives her a confused glance as he adjusts his shirt. “You can aim for me instead.”

“I’ll never hurt you, Rey.” His playful tone is gone, replaced with stone-cold sincerity. It’s like she can feel the weight of his gaze on her with the look her gives her. “But I guess you should stick around in case I break another light. You’re more pleasant than I am.”

“I can’t disagree with you there.” Rey crosses her arms and looks around, taking in the set-up. A blue tennis court with blow-up pool floats and other typical summer paraphernalia on one end, the other crowded with photography equipment. Only a few grips hang out in the shade, on their phones and eating. She sees the reflector from the broken light hanging off the edge. Maybe he should hit it again and take it out of its misery.

“Your hair is down.”

“What?” Rey turns back to Ben. He looks like he’s been studying her the whole time.

“ Your hair’s down. You usually have it up.”

“My hair tie broke.”

“Hm.” Ben takes a few steps closer. Rey draws in a breath, tilting her head back to maintain eye contact. He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair that was blowing in the breeze back behind her ear. “I like it down.”

“Maybe I’ll wear it like this more often, then.” Rey hears herself say. Is this what those out-of-body experiences feel like? Because she’s pretty sure she’s having one now.

“Please. But only if you want to.” He still hasn’t moved his hand, his fingertips graze the curve of her ear. He looks… nervous. Unsure.

“I do.” Rey is definite. The air between them is charged, like magnets close enough to feel the pull, but not enough to click together. But they could be, if she just leaned in a little…

Rey steps back, suddenly noticing the amount of people coming back to the set. “I’m gonna go talk to the photographer. Please don’t break anything while I’m gone.” She’s already leaving before he can respond. 

“Yes ma’am.” He calls after her. She has a feeling he won’t be hitting anymore lights today.

…

Now it’s a few months later and her phone is ringing inside her safe. She sighs and rushes to open it, answering the call just in time.

“Yes?”

“I need help, Rey!” He sounds far away, like he’s on speaker and on the other side of the room.

“What is it?”

“I’m stuck!”

“You’re… stuck?” Rey looks around her office as if the answer to her confusion is in the room.

“I was doing the dishes and ran the garbage disposal, and my sleeve got caught, and now I’m stuck!” His voice cracks as he yells at the top of his lungs, his anger at the situation bleeding through the speaker.

Rey struggles to hold back a laugh. “What, you can’t reach any knives or something?”

“No, I have a big ass kitchen in case you forgot and I have nothing near me other then some goddamn paper towels and soap!” She has to hold the phone away from her ear towards the end.

“I’m on my way.”

It takes her forty-five minutes with the Los Angeles traffic, which is pretty good time. After she gets through the house gate, she parks in front of the front doors of his modern mansion. She expected to hear swearing or some sort of commotion when she entered, but it was silent. As she makes her way to the kitchen she turns on lights, the sunset shining through the floor to ceiling windows that make up the westward side of the house. She always thought it was too much, but Ben liked the view of the hills. She couldn’t find it in herself to disagree with him. After growing up in the foggy streets of London, sun-kissed golden hills made for a spectacular sight.

She finds him lying on top of the counter, his arm extended underneath him into the garbage disposal. He’s asleep, quiet snorts emanating softly from his nose. Rey creeps forward not wanting to disturb him. She takes a picture, it would make a good story when he went on those late-night talk shows and a picture would guarantee a viral clip.

When she’s satisfied, she moves a strand of hair out of his face, savoring the moment of unfiltered touch before stepping back. “Ben. Wake up.”

He stirs, his eyes blinking a few times before focusing on her. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

He looks at his arm attached to the sink. “So you’re gonna help me.”

“Yeah, just one question.”

“What?”

“Did you not think of, I don’t know, taking off your sweater?”

Rey can see the gears turning in his brain as his face flushes pink. He peels off the green sweater, leaving him shirtless, but free from the sink. Without a word, Rey pulls the shirt from the disposal. The edge of the sleeve is tattered. She studies it with more intensity then necessary so she doesn’t have to look at his bare chest.

“Maybe you should put the other sleeve in too. Give the sweater a distressed look.”

“Don’t you have a plane to catch?” Rey looks up, past his smooth chest to his concerned face. If Rey didn’t know any better, she would believe he seems guilty.

“Yeah, I’m headed to the airport after this.” Why does that make her feel sad, she’s never felt sad before going on vacation.

“Iceland, right?” Ben crosses his arms, pushing his pectorals closer together. It really shouldn’t do something to Rey, but it does _everything_.

“The Ring Road, baby.” There’s no enthusiasm in her voice. The waterfalls and glaciers don’t have the same appeal as the sight in front of her.

“I’ve heard that it’s very beautiful.” His voice cuts off like he was going to say more, but decided not to. Now it’s Rey’s turn to blush. She holds out his sweater for him to take. Instead he pushes it back to her. “Take it, you might need it.”

The charge from the tennis court is back again, but multiplied tenfold. After avoiding his eyes for so long, she finds herself unable to look away now. They pull her in closer and closer until the sweater is pressed against her chest as he stands against her. His hand reaches up and brushes her hair back, caressing her cheek.

“Rey.” How could one word mean so much? She never wants anybody else to say her name the way he does, like it’s his last chance of salvation, like if she doesn’t respond he’ll wither away before her eyes. “You didn’t have to come here.”

“I know.” She swallows around the lump in her throat. When did that get there?

“So why did you?”

She finds herself unable to look in his eyes, so she glances down at his lips. They’re at forehead-level. If she just stood up on her tip-toes…

“Don’t make me say it.”

“Then show me.”

That’s all she needs. Rey drops the sweater, wrapping her hands around his shoulder and pulling herself up to press her lips to his. She distantly acknowledges Ben bringing her closer to him by her lower back, but her attention is captured by the sensation of their kiss. Although Rey would deny it, she has dreamt of this moment many times, but _none_ of them compared to the reality of it.

Eventually they break away to breath. She waits for him to start kissing her neck or for his hands to slide up to her breasts, but he stays absolutely still, like a statue. He leans his forehead against hers.

“You have to go.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Rey jokes. That gets a chuckle out of him.

“I don’t want to hold you back.”

“I was planning on camping, buying all my supplies when I was there. The only thing I have to cancel is a plane ticket and a car rental.”

“Who told you to cancel anything?” Now he drags his lips along her jaw, down to her neck.

“I changed my mind. I don’t want to go to Iceland for my vacation anymore.” It’s becoming harder and harder to put together a sentence. His hands slide up her back. She takes the chance to _finally_ comb her fingers through his hair. It’s perfect.

“Ah. I see.”

“Oh, you do?” Rey pulls his head back so she can look him in the eye. “Then show me.”

…

Ben preferred to wake up with the sun. He made a habit of it when he was bulking up for a role, and even though he doesn’t work out anymore, he still likes to shower, get dressed and eat breakfast before most people have gotten out of bed. But in the past six months, he has been sleeping in later and later, the person next to him more enticing than the bathroom. Now he solely relied on Rey to shake him awake every morning.

In a hotel room on the twenty-sixth floor of the Langham in New York City, Ben wakes up on his own for the first time in weeks. He probably should’ve known something was wrong, but he was distracted by the view of Rey’s bare back. The closed curtains block any sunlight from peeking through, preventing Ben from judging the time. Frankly, he doesn’t care at the moment. He snuggles closer to Rey, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him as he kisses the skin behind her ear. She hums, putting her arm over his and lacing their fingers together.

“Morning.” She croaks out, her voice still thick with sleep.

“Morning. At least I hope it’s morning.” He moves his kisses down to her neck, pulling her hair back so he can reach.

“What?” She turns to face him, eyes widened in fear.

“I don’t know what time it is.”

“My alarm didn’t go off?” Before Ben can comprehend what’s happening, Rey’s sitting on the edge of the bed, taking her phone from the nightstand and unlocking it. “Shit! Ben, get up!”

“What is it?” Ben throws the duvet off, picking up his briefs and yanking them on.

“We were supposed to get up three hours ago, the Morning Show starts at eight.” Rey is already pulling on her jeans as she finger combs her hair.

“What time is it now?” Ben unzips his suitcase and takes out the first clothes he sees.

“Seven-oh-two.” Rey calls someone.

“Wow, Rey, you’re falling off your game.” He smiles, walking towards her with his arms out as if to hug her, but Rey shoos him away, speaking to the stage manager from the show.

Ben goes to bathroom, quickly brushing his teeth and combing his hair. As he’s applying deodorant, he sees a shirtless Rey standing in the doorway behind him. He looks at her through the mirror, shrugging his shoulder in a “What?” gesture. She mutes herself.

“You ripped my shirt.” She holds up her tattered white blouse. Ben can’t help, but smirk at the memory.

“I said I’ll buy you a new one.”

“We don’t have time for me to go to my room, can I borrow something?”

He looks down to put the deodorant back.“I don’t care.” By the time he glances up again, she’s already gone.

…

In the black SUV on their way to the show, Rey ties her hair up into a top knot, ignoring Ben’s scowl. She’s still mad at him for not waking her up. Since when did he stop doing that? It’s so irresponsible, she’s his manager not his mommy, he should know when to wake up for his press engagements.

If she’s being honest with herself, however, she’s only mad at herself. How could she sleep through her alarms? She’s never done that before, that’s why she sets a million every morning, especially before big events like the Morning Show. They did get to the hotel really late, though. She dropped off her suitcase in her room, then went to his to go over the schedule for today. But as is usually the case these days, they never got around to business.

She adjusts the green sweater, rolling the sleeves up so she can use her hands. Both edges are distressed now, the bottom torn up from when Rey went at it with scissors to match. It’s her favorite article of clothing.

The SUV crawls towards the outdoor stage set up for this morning’s broadcast. The car bounces over the cobble stones, the metal barricades keeping back the screaming fans.

“What, no green room?” Ben asks, watching the people through the tinted windows.

“Not when you’re three hours late. You’re jumping right on stage.”

“I didn’t put on makeup.” She looks up from her phone to check if the concern in his voice was genuine. From his squished together eyebrows, she can tell it was.

“You’ll live.”

“You don’t have any in your bag?”

“Not unless you want to wear sparkling pink lip gloss, no.”

“I should really get an assistant.” Ben slouches in his seat. Rey gets the sudden urge to stroke his face and hold his hand, but it’s too risky. She goes back to typing on her phone.

A minute or so later, the car pulls up to the back left corner of the stage, about fifty yards away. A pathway stretches from the car door to the stage, lined with security guards and hands reaching out past the barricade. Ben sits up, smoothing his shirt.

“How do I look?” He turns to Rey for inspection. She gives her once over.

“Beautiful.”

He winks as he opens the door, the sound of screaming drowning out any chance Rey had of responding. She follows a few steps behind him, giving him the space he needs. She pulls her sunglasses over her eyes in an attempt to hide the sleep deprivation and lack of coffee. In contrast, Ben looks like he could run a marathon, waving at the crowd and conversing with the stage manager as she escorts him to his mark. Rey makes her way to the back, nodding to the sound and light guys, preparing to watch the segment on one of the monitors.

Right as he walks onstage, her phone buzzes. Her personal phone. Rey takes it out of her bag, reading the message from Rose. Her best friend and, more importantly, Ben’s publicist.

_Is this for real, Rey?_

Attached are two pictures. The first is a paparazzi shot from this morning, when they were walking to the stage. But it’s just her, which is unusual. They never take pictures of her by herself. The second is one of Ben from a different day, she doesn’t know when. Wearing the same sweater she was now.

“Shit.” Rey switches to her work phone, checking Twitter. It’s already spreading like wildfire.

_omg are they dating??? i totally ship it_

_WHY CANT THIS BE ME_

_they share a sweater, this is the cutest thing i have ever seen_

_ik i should be jealous, but all i feel is happiness that ben finally found someone_

_do you SEE the way that sweater stretches across his chest, barely holding itself together, while on her it reaches her knees??? size diff kink kill me_

Her hands are shaking as the applause clapping brings her back to reality. The segment is over and they have to leave. Rey rushes over to the side of the stage, waiting for Ben to finish thanking the hosts. She tries to think of what to tell him, but all she can focus on is how dumb she is, picking this sweater. Or any shirt of his really. She would’ve been better off just coming here in her bra.

Ben steps down the stairs. “Hey.” He goes to place his hand on her lower back to guide her towards the car, but Rey steps away.

“Let’s go.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain in the car.” She turns away and books it to the SUV. Already she can feel the eyes and cameras of the people in the crowd. She waits until Ben shuts the door behind him before bursting into tears.

…

Rey always prided herself on keeping her personal and work life separate. When she kissed Ben that evening in his kitchen, she knew that she was going to have to make some changes, but none of them would any effect on her job performance. Like bringing a bag whenever there was a chance that she would stay the night, always driving in separate cars when they were supposed to be coming from different places, never going on dates. It’s not like they were breaking any rules, but Rey knew what the optics would look like in this day and age, with a manager in her mid-twenties dating her thirty-five year-old movie start client. The headlines that she came up with on nights she couldn’t sleep kept her from telling Rose or even chancing a slip-up with a pet name or gentle touch. She had gotten used to tip-toeing on broken glass.

But now everybody knew because it was the one night she didn’t bring a bag. Rey just shoves the phone into his hand, sobbing into her hands as he scrolls through. She doesn’t look, too ashamed to have been the one to give them away. She waits for the yelling, the anger, the shaming. It’s what she deserves.

“Is that why you like my sweater so much?”

Rey sniffles, wiping her tears and snot up with her sleeve. “What?”

“Because it’s so big on you, but tight on me?” He’s smirking. The giant oaf is _smirking_.

“Do you not understand what’s happening? I just announced to the world that we’re sleeping together! Aren’t you upset?”

He looks confused. “Are you?”

“This isn’t about me.” Rey takes back her phone and pulls herself together to deal with the avalanche of texts and e-mails in the most professional way possible. Rose offers to take care of everything, but Rey refuses, insisting on answering inquiries on her own. She won’t let Rose deal with the consequences of her mess-up.

“What are you talking about, this is fifty percent about you.” A sharp undercurrent under his words tip Rey off that he’s getting mad..

“Since you’re a guy, people probably won’t hate you, so that’s good. You’ll get a few questions about it during the European and Asian press tour, but you can just brush them off, say it was a one-night thing or something. That would make you really popular in the single male demographic.”

“Rey.”

“I’ll quit in the next week or so. I’m already working on contacting replacements. All men, of course.”

“Rey.”

“They’ll definitely run stories on TMZ and E Network saying derogatory things about me, but just ignore them, I can handle it.”

 _“Rey!”_ Ben yanks the phone out of her hand and chucks it onto the floor of the passenger seat, out of reach. Rey finally looks up from her hands. His eyes are watery. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” He lets his sentence trail off. They sit in the silence, the charge between them that Rey once compared to magnets now like frayed electoral wires, shocking and painful.

“Do you regret it?” Ben’s voice cracks, his eyes flickering up to look in hers.

A wave of guilt washes over Rey. Her frantic attempt at damage control came off as remorse for what they did together.

_Why do I keep messing things up?_

“Of course not.” And this time Rey does take Ben’s hand. Not like it matters much anymore if someone sees them. “I would’t take back anything we did.”

“Then why cry?” Ben follows her lead and caresses her face with his other hand, wiping away any remaining tears.

“Because I set standards for myself, Ben. I wasn’t going to be like those other women that end up dating or marrying their much older clients and become a housewife.”

“I would never force you to do anything, Rey.”

“I know…” Rey turns her head and kisses the inside of his palm. “It’s everyone else that I’m afraid of.”

The car pulls up in front of the hotel. Dozens of fans wait outside, the doormen struggling to control them. Rey pulls her hand away, pulling her sunglasses back down and adjusting her outfit. She turns to Ben.

“How do I look?” Ben looks her over for a second too long.

“Beautiful.”

Rey opens the door, ignoring the camera flashes and screaming as she strides into the hotel lobby. She doesn’t look at Ben until they’re in front of her hotel room.

“The Vogue journalist, Kaydel, is coming at noon. She’ll meet you in the lobby and you’ll eat at the restaurant. I’m sure she’ll ask about us, but say it’s too personal and don’t want to talk about it on the record yet.” Rey unlocks her door. “We leave for the airport at five, then it’s back to LA. Got it?”

“Got it.” His voice sounds lifeless. Rey tries to smile to cheer him up.

Ben smiles back, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He heads back down the hallway to the elevator. Rey closes her door, her tears coming back full force.

_What have I done?_

…

Rey and Ben don’t talk to each other until they’re on the private jet about to take off for California. The sunset outside beams through the portholes, bathing the interior in golden light. Rey sits in one of the seats, continuing to plow through her messages. She hasn’t checked her personal yet, scared of what her friends have to say, although she already has a hunch. They’ll be ecstatic, happy she has found someone. She doesn’t want to hear that right now, knowing she’s about to lose him.

No matter how Rey looks at it, they can’t continue their arrangement. They’ll be under more scrutiny then ever, and since it felt unbearable when no one was looking, it will be impossible with _everyone_ looking. She knows the best thing she can do is to drop out of his life completely. He doesn’t need the drama, and this way he’s free to date any of the women that are dying to be with him. When they were cuddling in bed, she would often ask why he never got with so-and-so actress and Ben always had something to point out, complimenting Rey in the process.

_“She doesn’t laugh like you do. She contains it, while you let it burst out of you. It’s sexy.”_

Rey would wack him, and they’d talk about something else, or go back to kissing. But now he has to forget about her. And while she won’t forget about him, she’ll find a way to move on, for his sake.

Ben lies on the loveseat, legs dangling off the edge. He’s hooked his arm over his eyes, blocking out the light. She has no idea what he’s thinking.

When the jet reaches its final altitude, Rey unbuckles her seat and goes to stand in front of him. He sits up, rubbing his hands over his face as Rey takes the seat next to him. She’s careful not to touch him.

“I’ve talked with the possible replacements and I’ve set up dates for you to meet with them. I would be cool with any of them, they’re all highly qualified.” Rey says softly.

“I don’t want another manager, Rey.”

“I don’t care, I’m quitting.”

“Who are you gonna work for next?”

“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”

“Sweetheart—”

 _“Don’t call me that.”_ Ben flinches at the venom in her voice. Rey sits back, letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry. But don’t call me that anymore. It’s hard enough as it is.”

“What is? Leaving me?” Rey glances at Ben. He looks furious, his jaw locked and eyes piercing.

“Yes.”

“Then don’t.”

“Ben, I’ll ruin you.”

“Did you even read what people were saying on Twitter?”

Rey blinks. “Of course I did. What are you talking about?”

“Obviously you only saw what you wanted to see.” Ben takes out his phone from his pocket and opens the app. “Look. And really read them this time.”

Rey scrolls, seeing the same Tweets from before and hundreds more along the same vein. “Okay…”

“Are any of them calling you a slut?” Rey sucks in a breath at the word. She shakes her head. “Calling me a predator?”

“No.”

Ben lays the lightest touch on the space between her shoulder blades. “They’re happy for us, Rey.”

Rey turns to him, wrapping her arms around his wide shoulders and pulling herself into his lap. He rubs her back, kisses her head. They stay like that, comforting each other through touch for what feels like hours.

“What do we do now?” Rey whispers into his neck. She doesn’t want to be the one to end it, so maybe he’ll suggest it and then she can weakly agree and they’ll be done.

“I know you told me not to talk to the journalist about us…”

Rey whips her head up, glaring at Ben’s bashful face. “You did what?”

“It was off the record. But I did ask her to record it.”

“What the hell, Ben?”

“So she could send it to me.” Ben picks up his phone and goes to his email, opening the audio file. “Listen.”

The commotion of the restaurant is the first thing Rey hears. Then Kaydel’s voice,

“Off the record, but record it?”

“Yeah, is that too much to ask?” Ben has that same dead tone he did when they parted at her hotel room.

“It’s a little unusual, but it’s no trouble.” Kaydel chuckles. “Okay, so. Rey Niima.”

“Rey Niima.” He says it the same way as he did in his kitchen. Rey doubts Kaydel would’ve noticed.

“She showed up at the Morning Show with you, wearing one of your sweaters.” Kaydel speaks slowly, like she’s unsure over her word choice, but there’s no other way to say it.

“Yes.”

A pause.

“I’m sure you know what the optics look like. People that share clothes are usually…”

“Yes.”

“Are you?”

A longer pause. Rey can picture Ben rolling his lips together, combing a hand through his hair nervously.

“We never put a name to it.” Ben takes his time, and Kaydel doesn’t rush him. “There was always something between us, but we never acted on it until about six months ago.”

“So this wasn’t a one-night stand?”

Ben laughs. “No. I’m not that kind of person, frankly. And neither is she.”

“I understand.” Kaydel doesn’t speak for a few second, probably writing something down. “I don’t know how much detail you want to go into…”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you guys dating?”

Rey closes her eyes, not wanting to absorb anything other than Ben’s response.

Ben takes a deep breath before answering. “Ironically this is the one topic we never speak about. I guess both of us are afraid what the other will say.” Ben lets out a small chuckle. “But for me… I love her.”

Rey gives a small gasp, opening her eyes to look at him. He watches her reaction as recorded Ben goes on,

“She’s the most amazing woman I ever met. She’s the best goddamn manager in the biz, but she’s not a jerk about it. And she’s beautiful. So beautiful. I will never understand why she lets a refrigerator like me even go near her.”

She looks back down at the phone to make sure this is real and not an auditory hallucination.

“I see.” Kaydel responds. “I hope you get around to telling her all this.”

“I will.”

A few seconds of dead air and the recording ends. Rey stares at the screen until it goes black.

“I don’t want a new manager Rey, because I want you. All of you.” Ben says, picking up where he left off in the recording. “But I know that you have different concerns then me, and if you really think the best move is—”

“I love you too.” Rey blurts out. There’s no sense in lying to herself anymore. Not when she knows he feels the same. “I really don’t want to stop being your manager, I wouldn’t care if you were my only client for the rest of my life.”

Now that the dam is broken, Rey can’t stop from saying everything she’s kept bottled up since she met him. “I know you keep up an appearance of seeming angry and intimidating all the time, and it makes me want to break into a thousand pieces every time you let me see the real you. Good managers are supposed to watch their client’s movies, but I can never make it past the fifteen minute mark because I’m so proud of you that I start crying. And I want to kill anyone that made you feel ugly, you are the handsomest man I’ve ever laid on eyes, Ben.”

Rey holds his face in her hands, intent on not looking away ever again. “I love you.”

They kiss, and don’t stop kissing until the jet starts descending into Los Angeles airspace. Wrapped around each other, Rey builds the courage to ask, “So are we dating now?”

Ben’s chest shakes as he laughs at her question. “What do you think?”

“I should go tell Rose.” Rey starts to sit up, but Ben pulls her back down.

“Rose can wait. The entire world can wait.” He brushes his fingers through her hair, now out of its bun. “I love you.”

Rey snuggles deeper into his side, content to live in the space between him and the couch forever. “I know.”

As she falls asleep, the only thing Rey is conscious of is the lightness in her chest and Ben’s hand stroking her back.

…

Rey was grateful that Ben didn’t listen to her when it came to purchasing the black out curtains. She never needed them before and she thought it would be overkill, another customization to the camper. But with the sun in the sky twenty-four hours a day, Rey can’t imagine what it would’ve have been like to sleep without them.

It was his idea to go to Iceland for their one year anniversary. Since he was the reason she cancelled her trip the first time, he thought it would be right to be the reason that she actually goes the second time. So they purchased a camper, put their own touches on it, and hit the Ring Road. Work phones locked in their safe at home, of course.

They started from Reykjavik, heading west before making their way around the island. During the day they saw black sandy beaches, awe-inspiring waterfalls, craggy mountains, enormous glaciers, and cute puffins (Rey insists on calling them porgs). At night they cooked dinner and fell into each other’s bodies. It has been the best two weeks of their lives.

With only a few days left, Rey has taken to waking up earlier. Leaving Ben in their small bed at the end of their camper, Rey gets dressed and starts the coffee. The smell stirs Ben. He makes his way to Rey’s side, engulfing her in a hug as she sits at the small table with a map.

“Why are waking up early?” Ben asks. He puts on his clothing as Rey prepares their drinks.

“I don’t want to waste anymore time we have here.” She hands his mug to him as he sits at the table. “I was plotting out our hike to,” Rey attempts to read the name “Vestrahorn. I wanna beat the other tourists.”

“Okay.” Ben says before sipping his coffee. Rey sits back in her seat across from him. “Is it long?”

“No, nothing like Glymur.” Rey comforts, her calves hurting just thinking about that rocky seven hour trek.

“Good.”

After they finish their drinks, they pack. Instead of sharing one big backpack, they decided on two small daypacks, which has worked out for the best. Rey carries the map, first aid kit, lip balm, and sunscreen. Ben is in charge of the food.

The first breath of fresh air in the morning always makes Rey smile. After living in London and then LA for most of her life, she forgot how clean air and water could be. She wishes she could take this paradise back with her.

They parked near the trailhead the night before, so all they have to do is walk through the wooden fence and they’re on their way. Ben grabs Rey’s hand and squeezes. She squeezes back.

The world was a lot kinder than Rey expected. The first few weeks were difficult, with paparazzi following her, as well as Ben. The salacious headlines that haunted Rey for so long came into existence and screamed at her from the check-out counter at the grocery store. Rey started doing online delivery.

But he was there the whole time. Rey wrote up a statement for Rose about how they were in an established relationship and would like their privacy, which they both signed and Rose shared in case of any inquires. He let her stay at his house due to the extra security and kept her from watching the news, vetting any phone calls or texts to make sure they weren’t pranksters or journalists.

Eventually people moved on. Rey was able to go back to her house and shop at stores again without any extra attention. The people she worked with congratulated both of them, then never mentioned it again. It was almost too good to be true.

Then the Vogue article was published, and Rey was certain that she was living a fairy tale. Ben must’ve contacted Kaydel and told her to include their conversation about Rey, because sure enough the end of his feature quotes him directly. All the stans went crazy on Twitter, but other than that, they were not viewed differently then any other Hollywood couple. It’s a little scary how domestic their relationship has become after months of keeping it in the dark. But Rey wouldn’t want for anything else.

As they make their way around a bend, Rey sees the mountain peeking out from behind the hill, the fjord shimmering below. She lets go of Ben’s hand and speeds up.

A meadow stretches in front of them, falling off into grassy hills leading to the rocky shore of the fjord. Across the deep blue water, rock juts out from the ground hundreds of feet into the air, forming scraggly peaks. A flock of white birds fly over Rey, down to the lake, and she can make out a herd of reindeer grazing to the right of them.

Ben’s arm wraps around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. She doesn’t move her eyes from the sight in front of her.

“Not too bad, huh?” Ben jokes. She shakes her head.

They eat lunch in the grass surrounded by wildflowers. Sandwiches always taste like heaven after an exhausting hike and today was no different. As Rey is finishing off her peanut-butter chocolate truffle, she notices Ben fidgeting with his bag.

“What are you doing?” She asks, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Huh?” He looks up, eyes widened. “Nothing, just trying to find something.”

“What?” Rey asks, brushing the crumbs from her fingers.

“Rey.”

Rey knows that tone. She's become so attuned to it, from their first kiss, to laying in bed together, to when they exchange ‘I love you’s like people do gum.

_Something is about to happen._

“Yes?”

“I know that the past six months haven’t been easy for you. Or the year. Really the whole time we’ve been together.” Ben stammers. “I mean, I know you love me and everything, but you’ve had to balance your job and the public’s perception in a way that I didn’t have to, and I’m in awe of you handle yourself everyday.”

Rey has a ghost of an idea where this is going, but she doesn’t want to jinx it. She blocks everything out and tries to focus solely on the man in front of her.

“The last thing I want to do is make your life or job harder, but when I’m sure of something I don’t like wasting time so…” Ben slowly takes his arm out of his backpack, a box in his hand.

“Oh my god, Ben.” Rey can’t stop herself from covering her mouth with her hands. She never thought she would be one to cry at a moment like this, but already she has to blink a few times to clear up her vision.

“Will you marry me?” Before Ben can even open the box, Rey is tackling him to the ground.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” She says in-between kisses to his mouth, his cheek, his eyes, his jaw. “I will marry you.”

“Do you want to see the ring?” Ben huffs out, out of breath from the proposal and Rey’s assault.

“Oh, sure.” Rey gets off of him, allowing him to sit up and open the lid. It’s a simple silver band, tiny diamonds encrusted around it.

“It’s beautiful.” Both of their hands shake as Ben slides the ring onto her finger. They watch it glimmer in the midnight sun.

“I love you.” Rey says, looking up at her fiancé. He smiles, her north star.

“I know.”

They kiss, and it’s the most joyful, most peaceful kiss that meadow in Iceland will ever bear witness to.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/kitty_kat128)


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